“The Two-Parent Privilege” by Dr Alice Evans

One feasible way to massively reduce violence is to tackle alcohol abuse. It is one of the single largest predictors of gender based violence worldwide, and it is not inevitable. Religious prohibitions, government bans and higher taxes can substantially reduce consumption. Many addicts wish they were not dependent on alcohol. I’m curious to learn whether voluntary drugs like ozempic could help those who wish to give up the bottle.

MIT Professor Yasheng Huang discusses the resilience of the Chinese Communist Party, the impact of the keju imperial examinations on Chinese autocracy and culture, and lessons from South Korea on growth and democratisation. They also explore the role of civil service exams in Chinese history and the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties' innovativeness. Additionally, they discuss the long-term effects of the KJU examination and concerns about China's future and succession.

Why do a quarter of European young men say they’ll vote for the far right? It’s not just men. In France, The Netherlands and Belgium, the far right is equally popular with women. Existing scholarship has emphasised regional development traps, economic anxiety, and cultural backlash. Quantitative researchers typically regress individual- or place-based characteristics. In this podcast, I want to throw a spanner in the works, by highlighting the salience of distant events.

All East Asian tigers have converged economically with rich industrialised democracies, but only some have converged culturally, in terms of gender equality. Why is this?

Men comprise 90% of heads of state, 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs, and 90% of applications for patents. Prestigious positions are dominated by men. Why is this? Motherhood, discrimination, social networks and patriarchal institutions all play a role. But there may also be gender differences in personality. Men are typically more confident and competitive. Is equality then doomed? Should women be urged to lean in? And how much do gender differences in personalities really matter?

Poverty entrenches cousin marriage and patriarchal controls. What happens when crop yields improve and families become wealthier? Mobabark, Kuhn & Peters's paper is here: https://spinup-000d1a-wp-offload-media.s3.amazonaws.com/faculty/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2019/06/marriage-market2.pdf

Monsoon rains can cause enormous damage. Extreme floods are becoming more frequent, alongside global warming. Extreme flooding may increase early marriage and early childbirth, while lowering schooling. This comes from an important new paper in the Journal of Population Economics, by Madhulika Khanna and Nishtha Kochhar. Paper link: https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s00148-023-00955-z?sharing_token=ZikcGqicftAq-ywgduXnXfe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY6wF4GChhXkhRp_0NqzxJpmqSt-4RTpTB1Ap11SZymZWN3bLZbUZHz-NkFkEQksvsU1gZxPGabUegWSbc5DKPaExzPX4gE80q-1LPzd4EBgVt899muxWk1PcCOpWEbgkeo=

This podcast explores the impact of industrialization on female employment in Singapore, focusing on Chinese, Malays, and Indians. It discusses the cultural preference for female seclusion but also highlights the significant increase in female employment due to economic rewards and structural transformation. The podcast also compares gender equality between East Asia and South Asia, specifically discussing the experiences of Tamil Indian women in Singapore and present-day India. It examines the impact of industrialization, economic opportunities, and the challenges faced in transforming societal structures.

Panel data provides useful information about attitudinal change in that place. But even if certain countries show persistent traditionalism, we cannot assume this is due to culture. It’s possible - as in Eastern Europe - that many liberals have simply left.